There may have been better films made in 1927, but when Al Jolson sang “Mammy” in The Jazz Singer he not only astonished, delighterd and touched the hearts of cinema-goers, he inaugurated a new era of movies. From The Broadway Melody to Fiddler on the Roof, from Busby Berkeley to Michael Jackson, from Judy Garland to Barbra Streisand, the Hollywood musical has glamor, gloss, and a special upbeat magic of its own. Thanks to the durable talents of its creators and its stars, the musical has survived six decades of changes in its tastes and styles, and remains as popular today as ever.

Ther names alone evoke a sparkle and a smile: George and Ira Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Lerner and Loewe, Rodgers and Hammerstein, to name just a few composers and lyricists. As for the stars, they outshine every other galaxy in the Hollywood firmament – Maurice Chevalier, Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, Shirley Temple, Bing Crosby, Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, Mickey Rooney, Doris Day, Leslie Caron, Liza Minelli, Julie Andrews and Bette Midler.

In The Hollywood Musical, author Clive Hirschhorn captures this engaging world of make-believe and incisively assesses every tinsel-town musical made between 1927 and 1990. Each of the 1399 films discussed is illustrated, and each account includes a synopsis, cast list, and comprehensive catalog of the featured songs and musical numbers. Academy Awards winners and nominations are listed in special panels at the beginning of each year. In addition, comprehensive Appendixes include notes on fringe musicals and documentaries.

This is a definitive account of the genre and a comprehensive guide to everything that makes the musical unique. Wheter you’re a film enthusiast, a bath-tub singer or just a foot-tapper, The Hollywood Musical, is an indispensable addition to the bookshelves of every movie-lover.

CONTENTS
Foreword
Author’s Note
Introduction
The Twenties
The Thirties
The Forties
The Fifties
The Sixties/Seventies
The Eighties
The Nineties
Appendixes & Indexes